A man who lost his house keys and phoned the police asking them to break in for him, but then set fire to his front door when they failed to arrive, has been jailed.

Keith Appleby, 56, had drunk two litres of cider at an ex-girlfriend’s house before he made three 999 requests on July 7 to Cleveland Police, where a controller told him they were busy and apologised for the delay. He then made a final 999 call for the fire brigade at 11.24pm, saying he had set fire to the front door of his terraced house in central Stockton.

Prosecuter Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court that when police attended, he was standing by the door and said: “I rang the police three times and as you did not come, I set fire to the door.”

Miss Haigh said a neighbour had arrived in his shirt to put out the fire.

The door was forced and the fire brigade arrived, who then cleared the smoke from the house. The cost of the damage was kept down to £472.44.

Miss Haigh added: “He accepted that he had caused the damage. Asked what would have happened if he’d had no signal on the phone to call the fire brigade, he accepted that there would have been a risk to those on either side of the house.”

Appleby had 22 previous convictions for 54 offences, including criminal damage and affray.

Duncan McReddie, defending, said Appleby had lived at the house for years and the landlord was happy for him to remain there.

He said: “It’s an almost bizarre piece of behaviour.

“It’s almost like the behaviour of a small child.

“At the time he was drunk, he had a longstanding problem with alcohol. He has self-referred himself for alcohol counselling because he knows that he has reached the turning point with his drinking and depression.”

Mr McReddie added: “Clearly there was a danger, and he accepts that his course of conduct paid little consideration to the outcome.

“He has a degree of insight into his behaviour, having sought assistance through his own efforts. The landlord has no problem with his behaviour, having known him for some years.”

The judge said Appleby had a very considerable record for offences including criminal damage.

Judge David Hatton QC told him: “This is a case which clearly demands, in my judgement, a custodial sentence, as virtually all cases of this nature do.”

Appleby, of Durham Street, Stockton, was jailed for 20 months with £1,000 in court charges after he pleaded guilty to arson being reckless whether life was endangered.